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(No Model.) I B. F. LANCASTER.

RATGHET WRENCH.

Ive- 282,462. Patented July 31, 18183.

In ven tow;

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BRADFORD F; LANCASTER, on AUGUSTA, MAINE, ASSIGNOR on ONE-HALF TO n oHARD w. BLACK, OF sAME PLACE.

- RATCHET w RENcl-l.

SPECIFICATION formingpartof Letters Patent N 0. 282,462, dated July 31 1883.

Application filed May 31, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BRADFORD F. LANcAs TER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Augusta, of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rachet Wrenches, of which the following'is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings. i

My invention relates to ratchet-wrenches; and the object of my invention is to produce a ratchet-wrench which shall be capable of working nuts of any size with a ratchet motion, and which may also be used without a ratchet motion as an ordinary monkey-wrench. I accomplish this result bymeans of the mechanism shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows a side elevation with portions cut away. Fig. 2shows aplan or top View Withpart section through mm of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section througlry yof Fig. 2 with the hub A revolved ninety degrees. Fig. 4 is a rear. Fig. 5 is a deelevation with parts cut away. tail of cam G. A is a hub which fits into'a socket in the handle B... Two jaws, C O, in the front part of the hub A. These jaws are connected by the right-and-left handed screw D, so arranged that when the screw is turned in one direction the jaws approach, and when turned'the opposite way they recede from each other. The screw D has a beveled gear, d, which meshes into the beveled gear e.

3 5 The thumb-piece E turns the gear 6 by means of the shaft 6 passing through the hub A. A

stop, f, prevents the gear d from slipping away from the gear 6.

On thatpart of the hub which passes through I 40 the handle B are two toothed ratchets, aa, the

I teeth of each ratchet pointing in the opposite direction from the teeth of the other. Two catches, F and F play in the ratchetsa and a. Each of these catches F F allows its ratchet to turn in one direction, and prevents it from turning in the opposite direction, and when they are both held against the hub they prevent it from turning in either direction. The catches F and F consist of straight bars 5o beveled at their upper ends and iitted in rein the county of Kennebec and State ders or projections f.

it away from its ratchet. Fig. 4:.) When the ring is slide in grooves is coiled the spring f, which presses the catch upward at all times. The lower ends of the catches are widened out and formedinto shoul- The ring G is slipped over the handle B, and its lower edge rests on the projections f or, rather, these projections.

are continually pressed against theedge of the ring by the springs f f. The lower edge or the ring G contains the stop or projection g and the level portion g which drops below the rest of the edge, and each end of which isbeveled off in the form of an inclined plane or cam, 51' and g". The two catches F F catch under the ring G on opposite sides. The ring or cam G is so arranged that when it is turned in one direction the inclined plane catches under the catch F and forces it down and away from its ratchet, the stop g meanwhile bring ing up against the catch F. When the ring G is turned in the opposite direction, the inclined plane takes the catch F and lowers tion intermediate between these points, as in Fig. 5, both catches rest against their respective-ratchets.

H is a collar to prevent the hub A from slipping from handle B.

Having thus described the manner of constructing my device, I now proceed to show its manner of operation. 1

When the jaws of the wrench are to be adjusted to any nut, thethumb-piece E is turned in the proper direction and the jaws O 0'' moved to the proper distance from each other. These jaws may be of various shapes to fit different kinds of nuts. If it is desired to turn the nut with a ratchet motion, the ring G is turned in the proper manner, lowering one of the catches, For F, away from its ratchet. This being (See dotted lines,'

placed in a posidone, the wrench may all be turned in one direction, the handle then drawn back, and a new position secured, as in the well-known ratchet-wrenches now in use. It is evident that by suitably adjusting the ring G, I can secure a ratchet motion in either direction, or I can make an ordinary wrench.

I claim as my invention- 1. A ratchet-wrench composed of the jaws 0 0, operated by the gears (Z e and thumb- )iece E, combined with the hub A, with its toothed ratchets a a, and the catches F F controlled by the ring G, substantially as shown 5 and described. 1

2. In aratchet-wrench, the jaws O G, worked by the screw Dand gears (Z c, and. thumb piece E, combined with the double ratchet a a and the catches FF, substantially as shown IO and described.

3. Ina ratchet-wrench, the double ratchet a a, combined with the two catches F F, pressed upward by the springs f f, and controlled by the cam G, substantially as shown and described. 7

l. In a ratchet-wrench, the double ratchets a a, acted on by two-catches, F F, controlled by cam G, combined with ,j aws O O, sliding in hub A, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature 20 in presence of two witnesses.

BRADFORD F. LANCASTER.

Witnesses:

S. W. BATES, H. D. Barns. 

